Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog

As attorneys who limit their practice to representing the injured worker in PA workers’ comp cases, we are thrilled by the recent announcement that the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has approved the process of creating a “certified workers’ compensation attorney” in Pennsylvania (or, in other words, a workers’ compensation specialist).

We have seen the damage done to cases when an injured worker trusts a general practitioner to handle a Pennsylvania workers’ comp case. The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act is a complicated piece of legislation. As loyal readers of our blog know, this is a frequent topic of cases decided by the appellate courts in PA. Trusting a workers’ compensation case to an attorney not experienced in that area of law is akin to having an orthopedist handle your coronary artery bypass surgery. Just not a good idea.

A work-related injury can cause tremendous disruption, and loss, to both the injured worker and his and her family; we are thrilled that in the near future, that injured worker can have the confidence that he or she is selecting a “certified workers’ compensation attorney.” We, of course, look forward to becoming “certified workers’ compensation attorneys” as soon as the process for the testing and certification is completed.

Once again, we are honored and excited to report that our blog has been selected by LexisNexis as one of the Top 25 Blogs for Workers' Compensation and Workplace Issues for 2011. We recognize all of the wonderful blogs out there covering not only Pennsylvania workers’ comp issues, but also blogs covering workers’ comp across the entire Country. It is for this reason that we are so humbled at again being recognized. We are especially proud, since this is our third such recognition in the past four years.

We again thank LexisNexis, and our loyal readers, for this providing us the opportunity to serve. We will make every effort over the ensuing months, and years, to show that we are worthy of this recognition.

As noted in a previous blog posting, Glenn C. Neiman, a partner at Brilliant & Neiman LLC, joined the prestigious faculty of Lawline.com in 2008. It was recently announced that his next seminar for Lawline.com will be on changing the description of injury in PA workers’ compensation, a topic which has been addressed here recently. The seminar, currently scheduled for late July, will be streamed live through Lawline.com, then made available to attorneys across the State of Pennsylvania, as well as throughout the United States.

Last week, we attended a PA Workers’ Compensation seminar in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This is the “Fall Section Meeting of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Workers’ Compensation Section.” For years, workers’ comp attorneys from across the entire State of PA have gathered at this seminar to learn and discuss new cases and trends in PA workers’ compensation.

As you know, from reading our blog, we stay very current on workers’ comp cases coming out of the Commonwealth Court of PA and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. But, we recognize the importance of attending seminars like this one, so that we can interact with other workers’ compensation attorneys across PA, as well as the Workers’ Compensation Judges, and stay on top of trends and developments.

We believe it is this desire to stay current in all aspects of PA workers’ compensation law which makes Brilliant & Neiman LLC able to help injured workers as well as possible. Sometimes, general practice attorneys, who do not limit their entire practice to PA workers’ comp cases, as we do, are not able to stay as current on all aspects of cases they handle. We believe this is the primary benefit to us limiting our practice to just representing injured workers in their PA workers’ compensation cases.

As we mentioned in a previous blog entry, we are excited to sponsor a seminar on Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation, which is free to injured workers. More information can be seen in our ads in many area newspapers, or you can view the ad on www.phillyburbs.com by clicking here. We think this opportunity to learn about work injuries, from two experienced PA workers’ compensation attorneys, an occupational medicine physician and two representatives of a physical therapy facility, is a valuable experience which should be taken by every injured worker. We look forward to seeing all of you in our offices for the seminar on May 10, 2010 at 6:00. Just call us at (215) 244-8101 to reserve your spot.

Representing injured workers in Pennsylvania workers’ compensation cases, we realize how scary and unfamiliar the PA workers’ comp system can be, especially to an injured worker who does not have an attorney representing them. As we try to do from time to time, we are sponsoring a free PA workers’ compensation seminar on Monday, May 10, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. at our Trevose office (Three Neshaminy Interplex, Suite 301)[Just North of Northeast Philadelphia, just off the Roosevelt Boulevard/Route One, I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike].

We are excited to have Dr. Joel Kravitz, who is Board Certified in Occupational Medicine and Family Medicine, as well as Dr. Gene Nelson, Clinical Care Coordinator at Progress Physical Therapy Centers, and Bill Leitzel, MS Physical Therapist at Progress Physical Therapy Centers joining us for this seminar. In addition to speaking, all of the panelists will be available to answer the many questions you may have.

We encourage all injured workers to take advantage of this unique opportunity to have both your medical and legal questions answered. This is a rare opportunity, and seating is limited, so we ask that you call our offices at (215) 244-8101 to reserve your spot. If you are unable to attend this free seminar, but would like to schedule a personal appointment with us, also feel free to call us to schedule.

In a meeting held yesterday in Doylestown, PA, the Bucks County Bar Association Workers' Compensation Section named Glenn C. Neiman, a partner at Brilliant & Neiman LLC, as Co-Chair of the Section. The position is a two year term, slated to begin in January 2010.

Traditionally, the Chair of the Workers' Compensation Section is shared by an attorney who represents injured workers, and an attorney who represents Pennsylvania workers' comp insurance companies. In this case, the tradition has been followed, as Jonathan C. Meyers, a partner at the defense firm of Hill Wallack LLP, was named as the other Co-Chair.

The Workers' Compensation Section of the Bucks County Bar Association holds meetings throughout the year for attorneys who practice in this area, discussing items of interest to their members. Often there is coordination between the Section and Workers' Compensation Judges' in the Bucks County area, helping the PA workers' comp system flow as smoothly as possible. The Section also is responsible for producing an annual seminar for attorneys, regarding PA workers' compensation.

As noted in a previous blog entry, Glenn Neiman, a partner at Brilliant & Neiman LLC, was invited to join the prestigious faculty of Lawline.com. Being a nationally recognized leader in continuing legal education programs, Lawline.com’s faculty includes some of the most well-known attorneys in the Country.

On May 14, 2009, Mr. Neiman recorded his first PA workers’ compensation seminar for Lawline.com. The seminar dealt with the effect of retirement on the receipt of workers’ compensation benefits in Pennsylvania, as well as an update on recent cases in PA workers’ comp. After the piece is edited by Lawline.com, it will be added to their course catalogue and made available to attorneys across the Country.

We are excited to report that Glenn C. Neiman, one of the partners at Brilliant & Neiman LLC, was approached by Lawline.com, a division of LAWLINE, with an invitation to join their esteemed faculty. LAWLINE is the longest running legal TV show in New York City. Lawline.com is a leading internet provider of continuing legal education and law-related programming for attorneys. The faculty of Lawline.com includes such notable lawyers as Benjamin Brafman, Gerry Shargel, Harvey Weitz, Herald Fahringer and Hal Lieberman.

“It is a great honor to even be invited to join a staff with lawyers as admired as these folks,” said Mr. Neiman, “It’s like a baseball player getting put in a group with Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Stan Musial.”

Last Thursday and Friday, I attended the annual Fall Meeting of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Section in Hershey, PA. While I hate to be out of the office for the two days, I think it is important to hear, and discuss, things that are happening in the Pennsylvania Courts, as well as with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation and its Workers' Compensation Judges. In addition to reviewing recent Court Cases, we also discussed the status of the law regarding "retirement" (voluntary withdrawal from the labor market), "Labor Market Surveys" (also known as "Earning Power Assessments"), and the new 6th Edition of the AMA Guides to Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (which is going to be used to for Impairment Rating Evaluations (IRE)). Going to seminars such as this is what allows us to know the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act inside and out, ultimately, to the benefit of our clients. And, since the seminar is in Hershey, the fact chocolate bars are placed on every table never hurts either!

Normally, in this blog we give readers the latest workers’ compensation cases from the Pennsylvania Courts, news from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and developments in medical treatment for work injuries. Today, though, is just a cute story.

I was putting on my suit jacket to enter the courtroom at the Allentown Workers’ Compensation Hearing Office the other day, when a jacket from my daughter’s Barbie doll dropped from my suit jacket sleeve onto the floor. There was an awkward silence as we sort of all looked at each other, before bursting into laughter. I then picked up Barbie’s jacket and put it in my pocket for safe keeping (I would be put on the bad list if I lost Barbie’s jacket!).

Times like this remind us to remember the little things in life!

Glenn C. Neiman, one of the partners at Brilliant & Neiman LLC enjoys educating people, including other attorneys who do not limit their practice to workers’ compensation, about the complicated world of workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania. Recently, the National Business Institute invited Mr. Neiman to be a speaker at a workers’ compensation seminar in Allentown, PA, but the timing did not work out. Luckily, Mr. Neiman was able to be a speaker at a workers’ compensation seminar for the Bucks County Bar Association last year. Mr. Neiman has had the pleasure of speaking at seminars for both of these organizations in years past.

From time to time, Brilliant & Neiman holds free seminars on Pennsylvania workers’ comp issues for the general public throughout Southeastern PA. We think it is important for injured workers, especially those without attorneys, to know their rights. If you are interested in attending one of these free seminars, please contact us for information about our next seminar in your area.